Nov 27, 2012

Ogoni: Drinking Water Un-fit For Human Consumption


Drinking water in the Ogoni territory is still “un-fit for human consumption”, as MOSOP voices its concerns about the situation and the failure of the HYPREP programme.

 

Below is an article from NGR Guardian News:

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has expressed concern over the failure of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Programme (HYPREP) to commence the clean up of Ogoni three months after its establishment.

Meanwhile, MOSOP has revealed plans to ask President Goodluck Jonathan to exonerate the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni eight from the allegation of murder that culminated in their hanging during the late Gen. Sani Abacha regime.

MOSOP Provisional Council Chairman, Prof. Ben Naanen, told The Guardian in Port Harcourt that Ogoni people were becoming anxious over the failure of HYPREP to commence the process of cleaning up polluted sites in four Ogoni councils of Rivers State.

Naanen described as disturbing the inability of the Federal Government to appreciate the dire condition in which people in communities such as Nsisioken-Ogale in Eleme Local Council live.

It will be recalled that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) findings had revealed that the water in Nsisioken-Ogale remains highly benzene-ridden and unfit for human consumption.

“We need some explanation from HYPREP. We really don’t know what is happening, we are concerned more with the implementation of the UNEP report. We know that HYPREP is not entirely about Ogoni, rather it is about the entire Niger Delta. We want the clean up of Ogoni to commence without further delay,” he said.

Naanen insisted that the Minister of Petroleum Resources who oversees the activities of HYPREP must consult with Ogoni people who are anxious to know the government clean up implementation strategy.

According to Naanen, Ogoni leaders are to meet with President Jonathan soon and one of the key demands will be that Saro-Wiwa and the other Ogoni compatriots be exonerated from murder, which they were charged.

He argued that this has become imperative to heal the Ogoni people from the trauma they suffered during the military junta headed by Abacha.

Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni were hanged on November 10, 2005, on trumped up charges that they masterminded the gruesome murder of four prominent Ogoni chiefs who were meeting in Gio community.

He said MOSOP has already called for the setting up of a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the circumstance that led to the killing of the four chiefs.

“We will raise the issue before the President during our next meeting that Saro-Wiwa and others be exonerated. We are not convinced by the explanation given so far by the government for the hanging of our brothers,” Naanen said.